Just a Little More Reveling

March 18, 2016

We won another game today, this one against Vintage, a team from Napa (what else would a wine country team be called?). (And we.. that’s a whole bunch of taking credit where credit is not due!) The winning streak continues!

This is all great, of course, but I’m still reveling in last night’s game at Raley Field. So, if you don’t mind, I’m posting another couple of pictures from that game…

The first was taken by Wes, my absolute favorite baseball photographer, who has a knack for catching unique images of the players in their habitat. To wit, four Blue Devil pitchers hanging out in the dugout.

Peter, looking particularly smug, Bell, Ray and Eton.

And this is one Wayne Tilcock of the Enterprise took, and is the one that accompanied the article in today’s paper:

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At a team party tonight, Dan (coach Ariola) showed me an email he received earlier today from one of the Davis Little League administrators. The email had been sent out to a bunch of other Little League parent/coach guys, with an article attached from today’s Enterprise. His email reads:

In case you missed it — and want to share it with your boys (especially those who love pitching) — today’s Enterprise has a nice piece on the Blue Devils’ win last night.

The two boys pictured in the article — pitcher Peter Frame and outfielder Solomon Biers-Ariel — are two of the three boys who were kind enough to help us out at practice the other night.

It made me so happy 1) to think an article that features a few column inches about Peter Frame is being not only read, but circulated locally, and 2) that Peter helped at some kids’ practice. I did not know this.

Makes me smile.

And I guess since I’m referencing the article, I may as well post it here:

Frame’s gem is Blue Devils’ fourth-straight win

WEST SACRAMENTO — You don’t have to tell these Blue Devils that all it takes is a little Frame Work to build a solid foundation.

With senior right-hander Peter Frame pitching five innings of one-hit ball and Davis High taking advantage of opportunities, DHS rolled to a 7-0 nonleague victory over Rocklin (1-2) on Thursday at Raley Field.

In 14 1/3 innings, Frame (2-0) has yet to allow an earned run. Along the way he’s fanned 10 batters and allowed only four hits.

“It was another great performance by Peter,” said longtime DHS coach Dan Ariola after he saw his charges go to 4-0 on this young season.

“(Frame) throws a lot of strikes. He pounds the strike zone with his fastball, then throws in the change-up. Peter also holds runners well and fields his position.”

But these Devils are by no means a one-trick pony.

Even Frame recognizes where this team has especially excelled:

“I think we’ve got the best team we’ve had in a while,” Frame told The Enterprise.

When asked where the strength was, the pitcher’s answer was surprising:

“Our bats. One through nine … We’re one of those teams where everyone has power.”

While it wasn’t the overwhelming offensive display that saw DHS hitting .389 through three games, the six Devil hits came at opportune times.

For instance, after Nick Jury doubled to put runners at second and third in the second inning, Gabe Gutierrez thought he had loaded the bases when a

Shane Gustafson pitch plunked him in the leg.

However, the home plate umpire didn’t allow the advance, explaining to Ariola that his right-fielder didn’t try to avoid the incident.

Remember, we’re talking about timely hitting?

On the next pitch, Gutierrez drilled the ball to the Safe Credit Union sign on the left-field wall. Tyler Gibson (who had walked) and Jury came home on the play, and Davis was off and running.

It was Jury’s two-out single in his next at-bat that plated Ryan Kreidler, making things 4-0.

The whole-package aspect of these Blue Devils was clear in the late innings.

Reed Hessl’s infield hit, a walk (to Solomon Biers-Ariel), a Kreidler single, a wild pitch, an error and pinch-hitter Griffin Duisenberg’s sacrifice fly got Davis its last two runs in the fifth.

Then in the top of the sixth, with Frame retired, Ray Young walked a couple of batters before Dan Henrickson came in in relief.

As solid as the senior righty has been, he needed a little help when Rocklin designated hitter Mitchell Secondo slapped a roller toward left field.

Shortstop Kreidler made a nifty backhand play and nipped Alec Beingessener on a force at third. Henrickson got Adam Caron on a slow roller to second and the threat was over.

The Devil reliever sent the Thunder packing, 1-2-3, in the final frame, er, inning.

“Kreidler made that unbelievable play there in the sixth inning, backhanding it in the hole,” Ariola recalled. “That would have been bases loaded, one out and it could have been them getting a big inning going.”

Hitting, starting and relief pitching, defense? Through four games it’s all been evident — and it sounds good to Dan Ariola:

“If we throw strikes, with our defense, we’re pretty solid. I’ve been happy with the way we’ve been playing.”

Next up for DHS is a 4 p.m. home game with Vintage, a Monticello Empire League title contender.

“Our opponents are starting to get good. We’ll know more during the Boras Tournament next week, too.”

Davis plays Heritage High on Tuesday in the weeklong event.

Notes: Frame says he “got more mentally ready” during fall ball and preseason scrimmages. He says he started throwing harder … “warming my arm up better.” Asked about his out pitch on a perfect baseball evening before a crowd estimated at 300, Frame said: “I varied it a little bit. It had been the changeup, but tonight I got a few guys out on the fastball and one on a curve. But my best (pitch) is still the changeup.”

Me

About This Blog

I launched this blog in October of 2008 with a goal to "write" -- to refine technique, experiment with different styles, voices.. but I only posted sporadically. No experimenting was had.
So, for the entire 2011 year, I tried a different approach: I wrote every day using a "photo-a-day" device to prompt daily writing. It worked, but it became more of a "photo and daily commentary" kind of journal, and was a lot less about developing writing technique. Still no experimenting was had. I felt bad about this. Like I was cheating.
But I love the photos and commentary. It has been a fun way to document life, the seasons, my family, and who doesn't want one of those?
I took a break in 2012 and 2013... somewhat unintentionally... but now I'm going to return to a daily photo blog, this time unapologetically. Life of Wry is now a journally thing. No cutting edge writing, no experimentation, no risk taking, no vulnerability, just easy peasy breezy writing about what's going on in my and my family's life. And photos, lots of photos.
And that's that.
Thanks for stopping by.